{"id":25440,"date":"2021-09-02T12:28:58","date_gmt":"2021-09-02T11:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk\/?p=25440"},"modified":"2022-10-17T16:58:53","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T15:58:53","slug":"menopause-and-the-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk\/blog\/menopause-and-the-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"Menopause and the workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"

A manager walking around the office sees a colleague sitting on their coat \u2013 but then thinks nothing more of it\u2026..in reality, this colleague is embarrassed, feels like everyone is looking at them, can\u2019t concentrate on their work, is getting hotter and hotter and just wants to get out of there –  they have had a sudden heavy period and is sitting on their coat so they don\u2019t soil the chair.  They want to wait until the office is clear and quiet so they can go to the bathroom without fuss and clean themselves up. <\/p>\n

Now imagine that colleague at working at home, in an environment they can control, able to change their clothes if needed, given the option to flex their hours around their symptoms \u2013 how much happier and productive is this person?  But also, wouldn\u2019t the employer want to create a culture where colleagues are able to share how they are feeling and open up about the support they may need. <\/p>\n

For some people experiencing the various symptoms of the menopause the pandemic has created the requirement to work from home, with the unintended positive consequence that they are now able to manage their symptoms in an environment which they can control.<\/p>\n

Raising awareness of the menopause at work<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Before I attended menopause awareness training, I had no idea heavy periods were a possible symptom of the menopause, I had only ever heard that the menopause is when periods stop rather than get worse and maybe sufferers start to feel a bit hot. How naive was I? The range and depth of symptoms is as varied and unique as the amazing people going through the menopause and can have devastating effects on individuals physical and mental health.<\/p>\n

The menopause affects 50% of the workforce yet it is still a taboo subject in many organisations.  How many times is it dismissed as \u201cthat time of the month\u201d, \u201cit\u2019s just a hot flush\u201d, \u201cdon\u2019t ask her, her memory is awful\u201d or stops someone applying for that promotion or even leave a role they have worked hard for and love as they have lost their confidence or feel they can\u2019t trust memory like they once could?<\/p>\n

How can employers support colleagues going through the menopause?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So, here\u2019s what organisations can do to support menopausal employees:<\/p>\n